When Tragedy Strikes
by OhForTheLoveOfDragons
Summary: It's amazing what will pop into your head when you have writers block. Centers around Ron and James Jr., but other characters are there too. R&R please!
1. Say It Isn't So

**A/N: Alrighty, I know some of you are like, "What the hell? What about What A Day?" I know, I know, I'm working on it. Anyways, this is something completely different from my other story ****What A Day****, so if you like that one, you might not like this. It's not fluffy, it's not happy, and it made me cry while writing it. Just so you're warned. It's sort of AU, Ginny and Harry, and Ron and Hermione are together, and James is 5, Albus and Rose are 4, and Lily and Hugo are 2. Anyways, enjoy!**

There had been a breakout at Azkaban prison early that day, and Ron and Harry had had to go with two other Aurors and find him before he hurt anybody. It was now almost midnight, and Ginny and Hermione were sitting up waiting for them. Ginny had invited Hermione and the kids over for dinner, and the kids had fallen asleep in James' room sometime around 9:00, so they just let them sleep. Hermione had left a note on the front door for Ron, and they were now waiting anxiously for them to come home.

"Do you think they're alright?" Ginny asked, after about an hour of silence.

"Of course they are. It was just one man, and they went with those two Aurors. I'm sure its just taking a little longer because…" Hermione trailed off, not able to think of a reason why it was talking them so long.

Just then, they both heard a loud pop outside. They both looked at each other, and ran to open the door.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed and jumped into his arms. Ron nuzzled his face in her neck and kissed her, while Hermione kept mumbling how stupid he was and how he would never be allowed out of the house again. Ginny was still standing in the door way, looking way out in the darkness for any signs of Harry.

"Ron, where's Harry? Wasn't he with you?" Ginny asked.

Ron stepped back from Hermione and looked at his baby sister with sadness etched on his face. Ginny knew what Ron was about to tell her, but she refused to believe it. She had had nightmares about this since before she even realized she liked Harry.

"Gin, Harry-"

"No! Don't say it Ron! Just don't," She said through her tears.

Ron walked over and wrapped his arms around her. Her whole body was shaking, and Ron feared that her legs would not soon hold her up, so he walked her over to the couch and sat down, till holding her tightly, whispering things to her about how it would all be alright, even though he didn't really believe it himself.

Her crying must have carried through the house, because James walked in and stopped in the doorway. "Mummy, why are you crying? Where's daddy?"

"James sweetie, its way past your bedtime, you should be asleep." Hermione walked over to him, tears running down her cheeks, and tried to pick him up, but he jerked away.

"Where's my daddy Uncle Ron? He went with you."

"James, c'mon, let's go to bed-"

"No! I want my daddy! Where's daddy!" James started screaming. He ran over to where Ginny and Ron were sitting on the couch, and Ginny took him in her arms. They were both crying. No one knew what to do. Hermione said she was going to go check on the rest of the kids, and ran off barely holding back her sobs. Ron stood up, leaving Ginny and her son, who looked so much like Harry, crying on the couch. Ron ran outside and started kicking and punching everything he could get his hands and feet on. He cursed out loud, screamed, and finally succumbed to the tears that had been threatening to fall for hours now.

**A/N: One more chapter to go, I think. It's not gonna be anything super long, and this and the next chapter are all I have in my head for right now.**


	2. Dealing With The Hurt

**A/N: Next chapter!**

It was the day of the funeral. After some Aurors were sent out to find Harry's body, the paperwork had taken about a week, and then they were allowed to have the funeral. Ron and Hermione had helped with the funeral plans and the kids. Ginny had reminded them all of Professor Binns for the last few weeks, moving around more out of habit than anything else. Even the kids had noticed something, although Ginny had tried to put a smile on her face whenever they were around.

Ginny had just pulled up in the car with the kids. Ron excused himself from talking with and elderly witch who was saying how much she knew and loved Harry, and walked over to greet his sister, niece and nephews.

Ginny had already gotten Lily out of her seat and was carrying her while opening the door for Albus and James. Albus got out and started asking Ginny the inevitable questions.

"Mummy, why are we here?"

"To say good bye to daddy baby. C'mon James, out of the car."

"Why?" Albus asked.

"Because daddy isn't with us anymore Al."

"Why?"

Ginny was trying control herself, wanting to stay strong for her children, when Ron came up.

"Hey Al."

"Hi Uncle Ron."

"I've got a secret mission for you. Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, your mission is to go around to everybody, and tell them the funniest joke you know. Can you do that?"

"Everyone?"

"Yep, everyone."

"Okay!" he paused. "What joke?"

"Well, what funny jokes do you know?" Ron asked him.

Albus stood there with his hand on his chin, thinking as hard as a four year old could. "I know! Daddy told me this one. What's black and white and read all over?"

"I don't Al, what?"

"A newspaper!" Albus grabbed his stomach and laughed, and Ron and baby Lily laughed too. Ginny managed a smile and a small chuckle.

"Okay, go tell everybody. Make sure they all laugh, okay?"

"Okay Uncle Ron!" Albus said while running off to a group of witches that Ron could swear went to Hogwarts with them. He then turned to Ginny.

"How are you?" Ron asked her.

"I'm better, but I don't think I'll ever be good. I miss him Ron."

"I know, me too." He hugged her. "Probably not in the same way, but…" He offered her his crooked smile and she smiled back at him, wanting to laugh.

They heard the bell that signaled that the service was about to start. "Okay James. Time to get out of the car." James just sat in the car with his arms crossed.

Ginny sighed. "James, I'm not going to tell you again. Get out of the car please. We have to go say goodbye to daddy." Her voice hitched on the last word.

"NO! You don't even care do you! I wish you had died instead of him!" James yelled at Ginny, and then ran out of the other door and into the cemetery that was across the street from the church.

Ginny stared after her eldest son, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She was about to go chase after him, when Ron put his hand on her arm. "Gin, take Lily inside. Hermione's in there with Rose and Hugo," She opened her mouth to say something, but Ron interrupted her. "I'll handle him. We're all on edge, you more than anyone. Go on, we'll meet you inside." She nodded, and he kissed her on the cheek.

**A/N: Okay, I guess this is gonna be 3 chapters long. Hope you like it so far.**


	3. The Healing Begins

**A/N: Alright, I really bawled my eyes out writing this one.**

Ron caught up with James sitting at the empty burial plot that was to be Harry's final place of rest. The diggers were standing there, leaning on their shovels, just looking at the small boy crying into his knees.

"Hey guys, could we get a minute?" Ron asked them. They lifted their eyebrows and looked at each other, then gathered their things and walked off. Ron watched them, then sat down beside his nephew.

"Hey buddy."

James sniffled. "I don't want to talk."

"Fair enough," Ron nodded. "How about you just listen then?"

James sniffled again and nodded.

"Alright. I understand that your sad and you miss your dad, but you had no right to say that stuff to your mum. She loved you dad so much, and this is hard for her too. And I'll bet that if she died, you wouldn't be happy it was her and not Harry, would you?"

James looked up at Ron, his eyes puffy and red and his cheeks tear stained. "I just don't know why he had to die. I didn't even get to say a good goodbye, and now he won't know," a sob broke his sentence up, and he fell into Ron's arms.

Ron hugged him tight to his chest, rubbing his hand up and down his back. It was amazing how just a few years ago, tears had made him extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm sure he knows how much you love him."

"How do you know?" James sobbed.

"Because of the last thing he said to me."

"What was it?"

"He said, 'Tell Ginny and the kids that I love them. I want them to be happy.'"

"Did he really say that, or are you just telling me that 'cause I'm five?"

"He really said that." Ron paused. "I want you to know that I did everything I could to bring him back to you, okay? I need you to understand that."

"I understand Uncle Ron. You guys were best friends; I know you wouldn't let him die. I just really miss my daddy, that's all."

"And I really miss my best friend. But you know what? In a way, he's not really gone. No one who we love ever is."

"I know, as long as we don't let our memories of them die, they will live forever."

"How did you get to be so grown-up?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just like that."

Ron smiled. "I love you James."

"I Love you too Uncle Ron."

They hugged, and then stood up, wiping the remaining tears off their faces. "So, you ready to go say goodbye." Ron asked James.

"Uncle Ron, it's not goodbye. It's see you later."

Ron looked down at his nephew and his eyes welled up with tears. Only five and already speaking with great wisdom. In a way, he was now the man of the house, and Ron knew that when he was old enough, he would do a great job.

"Alright, lets go say see you later to Harry." Ron took his nephews outstretched hand, and they walked back to their family and friends. They weren't really ready to say goodbye to their father and best friend, but after all, it wasn't really goodbye.

THE END

**A/N: Okay, all done! Hope you liked it. And this helped me with my writer's block, so hopefully I'll have another chapter for ****What A Day**** up within the week.**


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